Sugar Cubes
by bellabambina248
Summary: A series of one-shots. SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone,

This is a short random story (SasuNaru). It's sort of a holiday present to you, although it has nothing to do with Christmas or New Year really. But I thought it was warm, and so is this period.

So have fun and enjoy it.

"**Red, Orange and black"**

Valentines Day, furniture dressed in red. Couples planting balmy kisses on each other's lips in restaurants booked weeks earlier. A few cuddled together at a favorite coffee shop as if they using their body warmth to escape winter's bite. That girl over by the counter blushed; she had just tainted his cheek with her cherry red lipstick. The guy who sat at the table was boasting, wiping the print with his thumb.

In the corner a blond sat by himself, his table covered with valentine souvenirs his single friends exchanged with him earlier. He examined each one smiling when he realized how his friend's personalities showed even through their gifts. Warmth crept inside of him, it was almost heartbreaking. Valentine had always had that effect on him; Nostalgia.

The phone rang.

"Naruto here... Hey Kiba!" He paused then added, "No No, you go. I don't think I'll be able to make it tonight... A paper... What do you mean? I always study!"

He rolled his eyes at a comment the other made, "Fine fine. Have fun."

The blond slid the phone back into his pocket. Silently, he lingered. He shifted in his seat, biting his knuckles. He shouldn't be alone or he would do the terrible thing he had avoided all year, he knew that.

He picked up the phone again dialing his friend's number when the gadget vibrated in his palm. The name flashed, forcing him to look away anxiously. Seconds dwelled like years as he resisted the urge to answer. The flashing stopped.

Suddenly, he tackled his phone like a maniac, pressing the green button twice. Redial. It rang twice before he could hear the other's throaty voice.

"Naruto."

He steaded his voice attempting to sound as natural as possible. "Hey, Teme, haven't heard from you for months now!"

"Hn," the other grunts out. "You didn't call either."

He chuckled loudly in pretence, "You sound like my baby cousin."

A long heavy silence follows.

"So, what's up with you these days?"

"I'm back."

"Back..." It wasn't a question.

"Back in Konoha."

"I see," he fuddled with the button sawn on his jeans thigh. "Welcome back then."

He could just hear the gapping mouth on the end of the line, lost for words. No, no, he wasn't lost for words. He knew what to say, but...

"..."

"We should meet up or something then."

"I am free now."

"It's valentine."

"Oh," it slipped out of the other's heart. "I... I shouldn't have called. You probably have a _date_."

"No! No! I am... just finishing a paper," He lied. He couldn't tell him the truth; sitting at their special place.

"A paper? Since when-"

"Not you too," he chuckled sincerely this time. The other too.

"Read any books lately, Sasuke?"

"Why? Writing papers and reading books. Are you the same Naruto I-" He froze. "I knew?"

"Intimidated by my new lust for knowledge?"

"Let's stay realistic here."

"Hey, did you know books are like sex for the brain?"

The other laughed, "What kind of books are you reading exactly?"

"Hey don't mock me," he teased and then added, "May be I shouldn't have taken recommendations from Kakashi sensei."

The chuckles came to an end, the conversation drying up.

"S-so, it was nice catching up-"

"Sasuke!"

"..."

"On second thought, why don't you come over?"

"Are you sure?"

"Naruto doesn't go back on his word, Teme."

"Naruto speaks in third person."

"Shut up," he blushed. "You used to love when I did that."

"I sti- Well, it kept you tied to the bed post."

"Perve."

"'Sasuke' is good boy," he hinted at an inside joke they used to share.

"Sasuke is a bad boy. He's a pervert."

"Not any more."

"Haven't noticed."

"A bit rusty."

"Sasuke," he said in a seesaw voice. "I am not getting this conversation anymore. When are you coming over?"

"Answer your door."

"Oh... You're infront of my door?" He heard two knocks through the phone. "I am not there."

"Where are you then?"

"Where am I?"

"Hn."

"Library..." He gulped.

"Which library?"

"The big one with the books-"

"Naruto," the other snapped.

"Fine, at 'Presto'."

"..."

"They have nice coffee," He _knew_ that Sasuke _knew _he didn't drink coffee. "And awesome apple pies."

"I'll be there."

Two hours later, Naruto was in the raven's car singing "Oh my gosh! Oh Oh oh"

"Oh my God, you still think you're voice is actually good, dobe?"

"There so many ways to love ya!" He leaned against Sasuke laughing.

The raven teased, "Did someone spike your drink?"

"You played the song first. You should've known."

He pushed the off button quickly as Naruto tried to stop him. Hands brushed against each other, and suddenly everything was back to awkward.

"Nine months is Suna, and I still can't get over the trauma of hearing you sing the last time."

"Hey, how long have you been back for?"

He froze, "A few weeks."

"Vacation?"

"No."

"Fired?"

"Resigned."

"I thought you like it there."

"I thought so too."

"What happened?"

"I couldn't get over it," He paused. "The cold, I mean. I like the weather here better."

"Oh, _he_ has feelings."

"Imagine that," the raven pursed his lips. "And _he _is an Uchiha."

"His family must be ashamed!"

"His family is."

"Are they still homophobic as well?" Naruto joked a bit too sourly. That killed the fun.

"..."

"Just joking."

"About that-"

"You don't have-"

"I do."

"Sasuke."

"I am sorry I left-"

"Don't please."

"I should-"

"It won't change anything. It will just make me mad thinking that you consider a sorry enough to make up for it. So, let's just forget it. Okay?"

"Teme, listen to me."

"..."

"My father-"

"Is a jerk!"

"Hey! He is _my_ father."

"Sorry."

"My father is a jerk. But, I... I didn't fight hard enough."

"We shouldn't have had to fight for it."

"But we did. And I thought..." He took in a deep breath, "I thought I would forget about it. That I can will it away."

"This is starting to sound like a cliché scene out of a cliché movie."

"It was either moving or getting married to an acquaintance of my family."

"I see. I really don't want to here this."

"So I thought, if I leave at least I will get a chance to chose who I want to be with... but-"

"I can't-"

"Then I realized if it wasn't you then-"

"I can't do it all over again."

"I told father to shove it!"

The sapphire eyes blinked a few times in confusion.

"This is not just an apology. This is a... pleading. I can't take back what happened, but I have suffered for it believe me. Not one day passed without thinking about y-"

"You know what these are? The words of a lonely single guy on valentine. Tomorrow, once the decorations are down, you won't feel the same way."

"Fine! Then I'll go home today. But tomorrow, if I ask you, will you take me back?"

"That's snobby, expecting me to be there whenever you want."

"Do you remember what happened when we were kids and that bully pushed you off the swing?"

"Whatever."

"Ten years later, I hired him just to get back at him."

"Are you _threatening_ me?"

"Threat- No! I am just letting you know I won't let it go."

"Your business," he looked out of the car window, carving his initials on the wet vapor against the glass.

"Naruto."

"No!"

"Naruto."

"No, Sasuke no-" He turned around, lips meeting him mid way. He slid down his chair feeling the other's warmth tickle his face. For the next twenty seconds, the sound of kisses echoed inside the car.

Backing away and sniffling, lips swollen from excitement. The blond gasped for air. Suddenly, he was trying to get over Sasuke's lap bumping against the horn a few times. Uncomfortable, the other pushed him into the side seat, and climbed on top of him, adjusting the chair.

"I h-hate you," Naruto muttered between kisses, almost desperate.

"I love you," the raven started to fuddle with the other's buttons. "I love you, okay."

"Sasuke," The blond groaned painfully. "You can't do that to me. You'll just break my heart again. You can't do that to me."

"I promise you no. No. Next time we part is the day I die."

"Jerk... What if I die first? Huh. All words."

"Idiot, you think I could live after you..."

**- The Beginning- **

**Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey everyone,

This is another one shot. It's very sad, but please don't hate me for it. Please enjoy and let me know what you think.

Note: It has **NO **relation to the previous one shot.

Beware: Character death.

"Heaven is not too far"

They thought that day will never come, but when it arrived, it made an echo. It shook their essence, and forced itself into the pages of history books with blood. This is the story of two men who witnessed that day...

Sasuke huffed while sitting on the side walk and watching Naruto mingle with the crowd around them. More than a million people had showed up for a peaceful protest against oppression, corruption, deprivation, and the overriding government.

It wasn't Sasuke's thing, but he was there for Naruto. He had always loved that patriotic part inside of his friend. Plus, it was just a day, right? That night they were going to go back home. To cuddling and fighting about what to watch.

"Sasuke," Naruto spoke in a seesaw voice while grinning. "Stop pouting, and start chanting with other people."

"You know nothing will ever change. The corruption will not stop just because a bunch of people decided to rally and speak their minds-"

Naruto sighed, "You're so pessimistic."

"Realistic is more like it."

"Well, Mr. Realist, it's a long shot but it's all we can do."

"Exactly."

"Sasuke, remember the old song that said something like 'If I die for my country, I'll live forever'?"

"What about it?"

"When I used to sing it in school as a child, I never really got it. Dying for your country, seems so... granted. So why is it so hard now just to stand in the street for the first time in years to at least let the dictators know that we're not dead yet. Isn't it the least we could do?"

"I think you've been listening to many motivational speeches," Sasuke kicked Naruto's leg playfully.

Naruto fisted the dark locks, pulling Sasuke's head closer, and planting a kiss on the milky forehead. "Maybe one day this head will-"

Sasuke shoved him away glaring knowingly, "Not here. Not now."

Naruto pouted giving the other a puppy face, "But I want a taste of my sugar."

The raven pursed his lips, "Taste your sugar now, and you and your sugar will be raped by the crowds. It will turn to a demonstration against homosexuality."

"It'll be worth it."

"You think a ramen cup is worth dying for. You lack judgment skills."

"Fine." The patriot turned around and began to sing with a group of youth who had used songs as a way to send their message.

The Uchiha heaved a deep sigh, zoning out the voices. Right then, Naruto patted him on the shoulder and gave him a thumb up. "We're going to change this country, believe it! There will be no more hunger, no more pain, no more victims stomped to death in police stations because they wanted to-"

"Yeah... Yeah... No more corruption, no more unemployment, no more 40% living under poverty line, no more slums," he scorned.

"You mock it now, but-"

"I am going to get something to eat."

The raven started walking away. There were many fast food restaurants just around the corner, but he decided to walk a little further to get away from the sweaty crowds and their racket.

Once he arrived their, he took his sweet time ordering. The joint has air conditioning, and a rerun of a match he hadn't watched before. It was comfortable enough for him to forget time.

Suddenly, he heard a growing noise of pained screams and gun fire. He ran to the door only to see a cloud of tear gas pressing itself against the glass. One of the workers pushed him out of the way in attempts to close the door before any could get in, still Sasuke pushed him to the side, running outside.

"Naru-" He didn't even manage to name out before he was swept by the crying crowds escaping for the sticks the police were chasing after them with.

Confused. He was confused. Was it war? Wasn't it peaceful? Why was the police attacking the people of their country?

"Naruto!" He shouted out backing with the crowd, feeling his throat burn with fire, and his eyes tear up. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. Damn, where was Naruto? Knowing the idiot, he would be in the front lines, Sasuke figured.

When this realization struck him, He froze. It took all his energy to push against the flow of the people escaping the rubber bullets that police had started to shoot at them in attempts to disperse the demonstrations.

"Sasuke!"

He snapped his head towards the origin of the voice, and saw Naruto and a few other men carrying a guy drenched in blood.

"They killed him! The fuckers! They killed him!"

The man's head was smashed in, and even one of the guys carrying them had one of his eyes poked with a stray bullet. Naruto was covered in blood as well, his forehead bruised.

**BANG**

Naruto fell to the ground trying to keep away from the bullet, but still he wouldn't let go of the body he was carrying. Sasuke couldn't help himself. He ran towards his blond, shielding him with his body.

"Leave him! He's dead!"

"No! Ahh!" Naruto fell to the ground, clutching his thigh.

Panting and looking at Naruto franticly, Sasuke tried to help Naruto up. "Stand up!"

"I can't!"

"Stand up!"

"My leg is shot!"

He started dragging Naruto away from the bullets, the tear gas, the high pressure water the police was aiming at them. The other men helped, but they weren't getting away fast enough.

"Just go!" Naruto screamed at Sasuke. "I'll be fine."

"Shut up!" Sasuke started grabbing at Naruto's shirt who was slapping his hand away, in attempts to get a better hold of him. His heart was beginning to ache, his hands were covered in crimson, and...

"Fuck! Are they declaring war on us?" A guy shouted as he ran past them.

Right then, an excruciating beam of high pressure cold water hit Sasuke in the back. He fell to the ground, and looked towards the vehicle spraying the water as it turned it's canon towards another batch of people standing by the other side of the street. People were handing on both side of the car trying to pull the soldier off of it so the water would stop. Instead, he just kicked them and drove over them.

Sasuke's heart would have stopped at the scene. He would have cussed at that cruel traitor who was killing his own people. Yet, he didn't get a chance. The soldier had noticed them, and was turning the spray against them again.

Sasuke stood up, waving his hands in surrender, "Stop! He's injured! Stop!"

**BANG**

The sound almost deafened him. He turned around gulping. Naruto was on the concrete, a snipers bullet stuck in his bleeding forehead. Time stopped.

Sasuke kept standing looking down at the corpse. It didn't happen. It couldn't have happened. It was a peaceful demonstration. It didn't happen. Naruto was fine. Naruto was fine. He was fine. But no... a bullet... a bullet...

He fell to his knees next to his baby, hesitating before touching him.

"Naruto," he asked waiting for Naruto to answer back.

He didn't. He was smiling, but still. Dead.

"Naruto!" He screamed, tears flowing down his cheeks. His heart was pounding, chest hovering up and now, body shaking. That tranquil face, almost killed him.

Almost killed him...

What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger? Sasuke slept that day in the streets with a million others. He slept in the streets and fought back till the regime was brought down. Naruto's name and photo were on every TV show with the four hundred other deaths. He was a martyr.

Dying for your country... so granted in songs and movies. But Sasuke could finally understand the lyrics to that old song. Naruto will never die; he will live forever in the pages of history. He will live forever because his death was a wake up call that brought a change desperately needed.

**- A new page opens- **


End file.
